6 THE LAND OF LOVE AND LIBERTY. Tune-"Rule Britannia."
HAIL, great republic of the world!
The rising empire of the west;
When famed Columbus' mighty mind impress'd,
Gave Europe's sons a place of rest.
Be thou forever, forever blest and free,
The land of love and liberty.
Beneath thy spreading, mantling vines,
Beside thy flowery groves and springs;
And on thy lofty, thy lofty mountains' brow,
May all thy sons and fair ones sing,
Be thou forever, &c.
From thee may future nations learn
To prize the cause thy sons began;
From thee may future, may future tyrants know,
That sacred are the rights of man.
Be thou forever, &c.
Of thee may sleeping infancy,
The pleasing, wondrous story tell;
And patriot sages, in venerable mood,
Instruct the world to govern well.
Be thou forever, &c.
May guardian angels watch around,
From harm protect these new-born states,
And all ye friendly, ye friendly nations, join,
And thus salute the child of fate:
THE GODDESS OF LIBERTY.
In the still hour of nature, when mankind repose,
And darkness her veil round the universe throws,
As the gleamy-shot meteor, so radiant with light,
A goddess descends on the bosom of night.
From her left Freedom's ægis flashed terror afar,
And her right shook the spear, redoubted in war;
On her helm was COLUMBIA, letter'd in gold,
And Peace with sweet olive did the motto enfold.
On her countenance heavenly benignity play'd,
And the stars of the Union encircled her head;
Of her country, the emblem was marked on her zone,
And bright as bold Phœbus fair Liberty shone.
With majesty awful, "My children,” she cried,
"Of my bosom the treasure, the glory, the pride—”
While she spoke, the wing'd lightning glared fiery on
And dread independence shot fierce from her eye.
"Thou nation of patriots, thou land of the brave,
Where tyranny rots in her dark, silent grave,
As peace to the wretched, or spring to the year,
So are to my bosom thy warriors dear.
"If war's sweeping tempest from Europe returns,
Columbia, indignant, shall marshal her sons;
With flags proudly waving, the tyrants defy,
Victorious she'll triumph, or gloriously die.
"When rages the battle, and the dread trumpets sound,
From the breast gushes life at the deep mortal wound;
Still fearless they'll hurl the death-winged dart,
And victory swell warm through each warrior's heart.
"I know you're intrepid, and danger will dare,
In friendship unshaken, unconquer'd in war;
As nature extensive, your glories I'll spread,
Or lay you immortal in honour's proud bed.
"My sons oft in battle their prowess have shown,
And humbled Britannia their valour must own:
The infant of Liberty, suckled but now,
Pluck'd the laurel of conquest from royalty's brow.
"Oppression's dark legions, here gloomy array'd,
Here Freedom's proud eagle defiance display'd,
When in terrible fury your fathers arose,
And dread as Omnipotence hurled down their foes. "The spirit undaunted, that knew not to yield, Sought peace in uprightness, or death in the field, Was the spirit unconquer'd your sires that possess'd, And such let the soul be that still fires your breast. "At Yorktown and Bunker's famed hill have they bled, And in freedom majestic, when Washington led, Did the rights of your country support on the plain, Or laid their corpse mangled on mountains of slain. "How oft they strode fearless o'er death's bloody field, With virtue their motto, and courage their shield! How oft, crown'd with glory, their banners did wave, Let the shades of my heroes attest from the grave. “Now, nourish'd by wisdom, and strengthen'd by years, The goddess of Liberty dreadful appears
To her foes, as the thunder that round her head roars, Profound as the ocean that washes the shores."
COLUMBIA! Columbia! to glory arise,
The queen of the world, and the child of the skies;
Thy genius commands thee, with raptures behold,
While ages on ages thy splendours unfold:
Thy reign is the last, and the noblest of time,
Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime:
Let the crimes of the east ne'er encrimson thy name:
Be freedom, and science, and virtue thy fame.
To conquest and slaughter let Europe aspire,
Whelm nations in blood, and wrap cities in fire;
Thy heroes the rights of mankind shall defend,
And triumph pursue them, and glory attend;
A world is thy realm, for a world be thy laws,
Enlarged as thine empire, and just as thy cause;
On freedom's broad basis that empire shall rise,
Extend with the main, and dissolve with the skies.
Fair science her gates to thy sons shall unbar,
And the east see thy morn hide the beams of her star;
New bards and new sages unrivall❜d shall soar,
To fame unextinguish'd, when time is no more:
To thee, the last refuge of virtue design'd,
Shall fly, from all nations, the best of mankind;
Here, grateful to Heaven, with transports shall bring
Their incense, more fragrant than odours of spring.
Nor less shall thy fair ones to glory ascend,
And genius and beauty in harmony blend;
Their graces of form shall awake pure desire,
And the charms of the soul still enliven the fire:
Their sweetness unmingled, their manners refined,
And virtue's bright image instamped on the mind;
With peace and soft rapture shall teach life to glow,
And light up a smile in the aspect of wo.
Thy fleets to all regions thy power shall display,
The nations admire, and the ocean obey;
Each shore to thy glory its tribute unfold,
And the east and the south yield their spices and gold;
As the day-spring unbounded thy splendours shall flow;
And earth's little kingdoms before thee shall bow;
While the ensigns of union, in triumph unfurl'd,
Hush the tumults of war, and give peace to the world.
Thus, as down a lone valley, with cedars o'erspread,
From the noise of the city I pensively strayed,
The gloom from the face of fair heaven retired,
The winds ceased to murmur, the thunders expired;
Perfumes, as of Eden, flowed sweetly along,
And a voice, as of angels, enchantingly sung,
Columbia! Columbia! to glory arise,
The queen of the world, and the child of the skies.
HAIL! the first, the greatest blessing
God hath given to man below;
Hail to freedom, independence,
Boundless, boundless may they flow!
Favour'd people, bless'd Columbia, happy nation,
Freedom, peace be ever thine.
|